Origin: Alaru
by PaperMoonWolf
Summary: Alaru has always lived in his brother's shadow and struggles to prove himself to his father. Little does he know that he, his brother, and even his mother has been living in a deeper shadow than he could ever realize. This is the story of Alaru's beginning and his ascension to a power he has yet to realize the extent of.
1. Parents

Alaru ran down the corridors, a sense of panic thrilling through him as he made many different turns. The halls, lit by torches, distorted his shadow eerily as he passed, the sound of his hooves hitting the stony floor echoing through the corridors. The dark grey colt was trembling as he turned the next sharp corner and stopped suddenly. He turned and peered around that corner, his head pounding frantically and his blood pulsing loudly in his ears. His swirling, orange-red eyes darted back and forth as he tried to spot his pursuer.

A figure appeared behind him, and his coat immediately stood on ends. He leaped around, shivering. The mysterious, white pegasus slammed his hoof into his chest the moment he turned, sending him to the ground. The pain was evident on his face.

"Tag," the white pegasus said, his voice a cold monotone, "you're it." He shook his head and muttered, "Alaru, I have no idea why you would challenge me to a game like this. You know I know the castle better than you. I'm faster than you as well."

"You're also a year older than me," he grumbled, "But you couldn't catch me if we were flying. I know for a fact that I'm a faster flier than you."

Darcian snorted and replied, "And how would you know that? We're only allowed to fly outside, and that's only when mother is with us. Neither of us will be properly trained in flying for another year yet. Well, I suppose another two for you."

"And how do you know I haven't already been practicing on my own?" Alaru retorted, but Darcian was already shaking his head.

"I know you're bluffing," he replied nonchalantly, "because father forbade us from flying inside, and there's no way you could manage it outside." He smirked and added, "and I know you're too scared of him to go against his word."

"Well," he answered slowly, "when we're allowed to practice flying on our own I'm going to prove to you that I'm the fastest."

"No, you're not," Darcian replied, "because I'm going to start first as always, and by the time you're old enough I'm going to be far better than you already." The conversation seemed to bore him at this point, and so he turned to walk away.

Alaru chased after him, sounding frustrated as he said, "Where are you going? Aren't you going to play another round with me like you promised?"

"Later," Darcian replied. "Our father told me to meet him in the throne room at three-quarters. Though I suppose you can come along if you want." Three-quarters was a measurement of time in the kingdom the two brothers lived in. It was a reference to the position of the "sun" and each of them knew it innately. It was their father's job to raise and lower the sun after all—or at least that's what they were taught from a young age.

Darcian walked at a slow, stately pace now, and Alaru followed impatiently. He was beginning to wonder how his older brother was able to get anywhere on time when he was always walked so slowly. He was almost tempted to run ahead of him since he knew exactly where the throne room was, but he didn't want to anger their father if he arrived first. Alaru loathed seeing his father's stern, judgmental gaze burning into him with disapproval.

He started to become lost in thought and wasn't paying much attention. He nearly ran into Darcian the moment the older colt stopped walking. The hot-headed youth had to stop himself from crying out in outrage, knowing that not only was it his fault for not paying attention but it would also be the kind of thing that would make his father upset with him. His father hated ponies that raised their voice. He personally found this quality the most terrifying about him when he was angry.

He looked all around the room. It was covered in shades of black and red, consisting of dark stone and reddish light that streamed from windows that appeared to be tinted. It looked more sinister with the tapestries that depicted horrible battles between unimaginable monsters. Alaru knew that they would be far worse if he were to meet them in real life. The room was also lit by torches that made the shadows flicker and jump in the late evening light. Alaru could also now see the sun that seemed to glare menacingly through the windows at this time of day.

Unlike the real sun, this one was controlled by the two brothers' father and it shined with ghastly red light that gave the windows the illusion of being stained. It served to mark this kingdom as one of demons and fallen peasantry with no real sunlight. Alaru's father held a long-standing hatred for the sun princess—for Celestia—and had long since banished her light from his kingdom though some say that she took away her sunlight as a punishment for his wickedness.

"Come closer," the dark stallion said as he gazed up at the false star, his horn ablaze with the magic needed to lower it. He stood at the foot of a tall, menacing throne. There was a smaller throne supposedly for his queen or perhaps the prince, but Alaru knew that his mother would never enjoy sitting in such a dark and disturbing room. The only place she truly appeared comfortable was her garden. He also couldn't imagine his father asking him or his older brother to sit beside him, even on a lowered throne.

Darcian walked forward as their father asked and Alaru followed behind with a quick, surprised step. Alaru knew that it was too late to back out now that his father saw him, even if his father hadn't acknowledged that he was there. As soon as the thought occurred to him, the dark stallion turned his gaze on the young colt. His sharp, red eyes pinned him in place, and he froze even as Darcian continued to walk forward.

"I see you brought your younger brother," he said, continuing to stare at Alaru.

"I'm sorry," Darcian replied evenly. "You did not forbid it prior, so I was unaware if that was acceptable or not."

Alaru wondered how many meetings like this they had before that he didn't know about. It irritated him how his father had spoken about him like he wasn't there and like they weren't related.

"It does not matter," he answered, his voice deep, smooth, and alluring. "This is a lesson that would be well-learned by both of you though I have little to no doubt who will gain the most out of their inheritance."

Even as this exchange went on, Alaru began to feel angrier and angrier. He knew that he meant Darcian, and burned to remind his father that he was his son too.

He looked down at the cold, dark stone, in a desperate attempt to master his anger before it got him into trouble. As far as he could tell his father, Starstin, didn't notice or care that he was upset. As Alaru looked up again, the stallion was taking slow, dignified steps up to the altar above his throne, his hooves echoing around the room. Alaru felt annoyed once more as he wondered if that's where Darcian had picked up the habit.

His horn began to glow with magic that seemed to consist of black light. It sent the sun ablaze as it lowered below the crest of the distant horizon before finally casting the room into complete darkness. Darcian didn't seem to care, but it disturbed Alaru for reasons he couldn't sort out. It bothered him to see his father do something as powerful as banishing the sun.

Soon after the moon began to rise and bathe the room in a gentler light. For a moment he could see his father staring down at them from the resulting shadows. Alaru, for a moment, saw a mask of rage and fear, but then the moment passed, and he passed it off as his imagination. Even so, he found himself looking to his older brother for reassurance, but his face was just as unreadable and emotionless as his father's.

"One of these days," Starstin said, jolting Alaru from his revelry, "one of the two of you will take my place, but I doubt it will be anytime soon. It will fall on whichever is chosen to raise the sun each day, and to put it to rest."

Alaru had to resist the urge not to return a sarcastic comment about how neither of them as pegasi could accomplish such a feat, but he knew better than to argue with their father. He was also discouraged by how Darcian didn't say anything to contradict him either. He even seemed eager to hear more of what their father had to say.

"There is a secret that not many ponies know and that is that alicorns are not born, but made. Do you really think that audacious sun princess was born with both wings and a horn? Never forget that she is nothing more than a deceiver and oppressor. She will always wallow in her immortality, and so there will never be a chance for change, for the natural order of chaos!"

"One day you will strike her down, and there will be no one to oppose your perfect vision of power," Darcian replied as if he had rehearsed saying this many, many times before. Alaru continued to listen in silence. He didn't know what to think about all of this, but none of it sounded right to him.

"I have considered this for quite some time, uncertain if my eldest son, let alone my younger son—"

 _Oh, he acknowledges that I'm his son_ , Alaru thought bitterly.

"— would be ready, but I have come to the conclusion that there is no way better to test whether or not you are both prepared than to actually give you the test. If you pass, then I will begin leading you on the path to becoming an alicorn, but if you fail, then I suppose I will have to continue with our normal lessons."

Darcian nodded eagerly. Alaru, however, hesitated as he wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of responsibility and power.

"Well?" Starstin asked impatiently when he noticed how his youngest son fidgeted but did not nod or show any other sign of confirmation. Darcian turned and glared at him, and Alaru nodded hastily, having never seen this expression on his brother's face before, caught off guard by how intense he suddenly was when he usually was nonchalant and bored. He seemed to want this more than anything else, and he almost appeared scared, as if worried that his father might change his mind with Alaru here.

"Very good," Starstin said, despite how Alaru looked anything but good at this moment. "Simply listen, and if you pass, then we'll continue your training." It suddenly hit him that his father was once more only talking to Darcian, and hot anger filled his blood. Only what happened next caused him to pause.

Guttural snarls broke from Starstin's lips as he began to speak-if it could be called speaking. Alaru had never heard any living creature make that sound, not even amongst the howls that had haunted his nightmares for so many years when he was younger. Before he could register what was happening, he noticed his brother beside him. He was crouched down on the floor, cowering in terror, and just the sight of it unnerved him and filled him with panic. He darted from the room, unwilling to continue seeing and hearing these things.

After he rushed from his father's throne room a deep feeling of shame burned just beneath his skin. The panic had left him, but he walked with his head held low. He didn't realize that his path was taking him to his mother's garden. Her garden was possibly the only place where there was warm, friendly light, light akin to the sun; the real sun. It was a fixture that the castle wizard, Sterling, had put up so the plants would thrive, and Alaru had seen him renew it once, though he hadn't seen him lately.

He wasn't interested in magic anyway, and couldn't imagine ever learning magic when he was a pegasus. He felt almost cold as he realized that he might have been able to learn from him if only he had successfully become an alicorn like his father had said.

His mother was working in the garden as he approached her, his hooves falling heavily, and she turned to see him on the verge of tears. She was named Rosepetal, and she had a pink coat with a dark red mane just like his that was tied up at the end. He appreciated how she was never mean, only kind and approving. She walked over to him and laid her head on his shoulder, and he buried his face in her mane so she wouldn't see him crying. He knew his father would have mocked him for this before, and so he was glad that his mother never would.

Though he didn't know it, she hadn't come from these lands. She had traveled there a long time ago and had met his father when he was just a bit older than Darcian was now, and when his father had ruled. Alaru never met his grandfather, who died before Darcian was born, and he had no other living relatives other than his brother and parents. His mother had left her homeland because she also lacked living relatives.

Starstin and Rosepetal had fallen deeply in love almost immediately, and Starstin had promised to always protect her, but this had changed after she had become pregnant with his second son. Since then he had chosen to ignore her and had the servants take care of her. Alaru and his bother hardly knew any of this, however.

"I don't think father likes me," he finally managed, though his voice was muffled, "not when he has Darcian who's better in every way."

"Of course he likes you," she replied. "He just pays more attention to your brother because he's older, but I promise your day will come. He loves you just as much as your brother." She tried to hide her uncertainty. She knew that Starstin only kept things as long as they were useful. She didn't want to tell Alaru that when she knew it would make him feel useless.

"You really think so?" The young colt mumbled, looking up at her with his shining amber eyes.

She suddenly realized just how much he looked like his father other than his messy mane, but she tried not to show that revelation. "Yes," she replied, "and if you ever want to talk or just want some company, please don't be afraid to come here and see me. I love you so much, Alaru." _More than you know._

He gave her a small smile, and she smiled warmly back. "I want to become better than my brother one day so dad will want to work with me as well. I don't want to disappoint him again. I'll become bigger and braver. I'll be strong enough to protect this entire castle and land one day all by myself. I'll keep you safe, and I'll never forget how much you cared for me."

"Of course," she replied, feeling a pit open in her stomach, praying silently for this to be true.

"Can we go into the village tomorrow?" He asked suddenly. "I want to practice my flying and see the town ponies. We're not allowed to do either in the castle. We can, can't we? Darcian can come too, and I can show him what I can do!"

"Of course. That's what we'll do that tomorrow then; just you, Darcian and I," she said, making herself sound cheerful. "Go get some sleep then."

Alaru grinned widely, a complete reverse of how he had arrived, and replied quickly, "Thanks, love you, good night!" He then trotted off to go to bed, eager to see tomorrow.


	2. Crow

He rushed to his room, eager to get to sleep so the morning would come sooner. His room wasn't very big, but he liked it. It had stone walls like the rest of the castle and a small but comfortable bed at the far end of the room against the wall. There was also a spear on the wall along the left side. He remembered when he was first old enough to be moved to his own room and he had snuck in to see it early. He had caught them trying to take the spear down when he peeked in. The room was apparently an old storage room back when his grandfather ruled. He remembered whining and complaining about it until they finally put it back. It was his father that had given the order to leave it, and he remembered it as the happiest day of his life. The spear had a rusted tip, and it was apparently used in the war that took place when his grandfather's grandfather took over.

He fell asleep quickly; tired from playing. He wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping, but something woke him up, and he found himself lying in bed, staring at a figure that stood in his doorway. He nearly cried out but realized that it was only his brother when he caught a glimpse of his white coat and red mane. He remembered how his brother had used to check on him every night when Alaru was first moved to his own room because he was secretly afraid to sleep there alone. It no longer bothered him, and it had been a long time since the last time Darcian had checked on him. If he had been doing it recently, Alaru hadn't been aware of it. Alaru wondered if he was checking on him now because of what had happened that day.

"I'm okay, big brother," Alaru said without thinking about it, "Good night." The figure in the doorway didn't say anything and seemed to simply melt into the shadows after. Alaru decided that he must have surprised him, and if he was embarrassed to be caught checking on his younger brother.

He didn't think much about it, and before long he fell into a dream-filled sleep. He was shocked with how vivid the dream was as he wandered through what seemed to be a wasteland with pointy rocks jutting up from the ground, but he could only make out their outline. Everything seemed incredibly dark, but at the same time, there seemed to be enough light for him to see by. He wasn't sure how he could see in this kind of darkness, but he decided it was because it was a dream. He felt as if something was calling out to him and so he started to follow it over hard, treacherous, uneven ground. It didn't sound like a real voice, and he had no idea how he thought that it was for him, but he continued to consider it a part of the dream.

After a while, he arrived in a clearing. It was a lot cleaner here, the ground no longer hurting his hooves. He was starting to realize that the hard, rough terrain was giving away to soft grass. This was particularly strange to him. There was nothing like this in the waking world that he knew of.

A strangely familiar blue light began to shine on him, and he looked up to see a full blue moon. He recalled how his father had told his brother and him that the moon was evil, and a bad omen, but that made it feel comforting there rather than otherwise to him. Then suddenly a feeling of panic filled him, stronger than he had ever felt before, and he wanted to run but his legs wouldn't budge. He pressed himself to the ground like his brother. Without further warning, a colossal crow appeared and alighted itself in the center of the grassy clearing. Alaru couldn't help but look into its swirling eyes as he looked upon it. He had expected black, beady eyes but these were yellow-orange like his and swirled with energy.

The crow started to make a strange hissing, grinding sound and cawed a few times and all Alaru could do was cower. After a moment it stopped, and Alaru felt something click inside him, but he wasn't sure what that meant.

"That's strange," the Crow suddenly said, "Brats usually can't get here, especially not brats that can't understand the language. It doesn't matter; he'll make a nice snack."

A feeling of fear thrilled through Alaru. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew that the last thing he wanted to happen was to die here. "No!" He finally managed to choke out and found himself standing straighter as he retorted, "I can hear you just fine. I know the language."

The crow looked surprised, and he replied with hard malice, "How do you know you know the language that I speak of? Perhaps you're mistaken, and it will cost you your life if you're lying."

"I know I'm right because I can understand you now," he bluffed, hoping that even if he was wrong, he could use this to buy himself some time. "I wouldn't be able to hear you if I wasn't meant to!"

The Crow was silent for a very long time, and Alaru felt sick as if he were a criminal that knew he was guilty and was waiting to be called out and subsequently executed. After a moment the Crow began laughing and hissed, "I was hoping you would answer that way. In any case, you're right. If you couldn't understand me, then it would mean that you didn't know the language. It's the same for every shadow walker. You're just lucky you awakened when you did. It's no crime to destroy someone who doesn't know the language here even if they would have learned it later, but it is to kill a shadow walker that's unaware they are one."

"What's a shadow walker?" Alaru asked curiously.

"The easiest way to describe it, Red Ice, is that they're vampires. They can do things like merge through shadows and travel through the dark realm to get to places quickly. They are fast and strong, and some get their power from things like blood, but they're also weaker in direct sunlight. There are real vampires that aren't shadow walkers, but they're hardly like the definition of them nowadays that fits a shadow walker so much better. If anyone finds out what you are, more than likely you will be considered a vampire, Red Ice."

"So I'm a shadow walker…and why are you calling me Red Ice? My name is—

"I don't care what your name is!" the Crow hissed angrily, "from now on, as far as I'm concerned, your name is Red Ice. I don't care if you keep your real name in the waking world—I won't hear it if it's uttered by anyone in the light world—or if you decide to start using the name I gave you alone, or even both, but as long as you're here don't you dare utter your real name aloud. I am your, for lack of a more favorable term, shadow caller. That means I will guide you and teach you how to use your powers and sometimes even help you directly depending on the circumstances. Not everyone has a shadow caller as conniving as I and some shadow callers will overlook if their shadow walker accidentally says their birth name but I won't. If I learn your birth name, I will take every single advantage. I will take every single part of you until there's nothing left but myself.

Alaru, or rather Red Ice, gave a curt nod, trying not to reveal how disturbed he was, but something told him that the Crow already knew just how troubled he was, and it laughed at him. He said to the Crow, "Alright then. Then can I at least know your name?"

"You'll learn it in time," the Crow replied sarcastically, "but for now you need your rest. I will teach you as you need it and I will warn you when you're in danger; especially when you're sleeping or in the dark."

"Before I go," he muttered, "What kind of moon is that? I've never seen one shine so brightly before. I rarely see the moon at all actually."

"It's a blue moon, a sign of great promise," the crow replied, his voice fading even as he spoke. "I foresee that you will become a part of a great whole that will grace it deservingly."

At first, when he first woke up, he thought that it was only a few minutes since he had last fallen asleep but already he could sense his father raising the sun. At first he was excited to go to town with his brother and mother, but then he remembered that he had chores to be done first. He sighed as he got out of bed, wishing that he already knew enough about being a shadow walker to get those done quicker.  
~~

When they finally left, Alaru kept running ahead of them. Darcian, on the other hoof, was less than pleased that he had to go with them, trotting dejectedly behind their mother. Alaru tried not to be bothered by his brother's bad mood, just glad to just be out. He tried not to let it bother him that he wasn't allowed to fly yet either. His mother insisted that they walked despite how the three of them were pegasi.

"Try not to get too far ahead," Rosepetal warned. "It could be dangerous. Stay where your brother and I can see you."

"I will, but I'd be fine. I'm strong enough to take care of myself," Alaru replied, laughing.

"I doubt it," Darcian replied crossly. "We're the sons of Starstin, and I for one wouldn't want to be caught alone by the peasants. They'd gladly tear us apart."

"What do you mean? Isn't father the king? They wouldn't even know who I am anyway. We rarely ever leave the castle." Alaru answered, pausing long enough for Darcian and his mother to catch up to him. "How would they even recognize me?"

"Don't worry about that," Rosepetal told him gently, not liking this kind of talk, saying so before Darcian could reply. The older colt snorted and walked ahead in annoyance. "Just stay close to us, and there won't be any chance that you'll run into the ponywolf."

"What's the ponywolf?" Alaru asked curiously.

"It's a great and terrifying beast that takes the form of a pony during the day but a wolf that walks on two legs at night. It has sharp teeth and eyes that shine like the yellow moon," she replied in a haunted voice.

"Rubbish," Darcian growled. Alaru didn't think that she heard him initially, but when he looked at her again, he could have sworn he saw her grimace.

They continued walking until reaching the marketplace. On the way there Alaru wondered at the lack of ponies. Hardly any were in the streets and the ones he did see were hidden in the shadows or watching from cracked doors and window shades. The air crackled with tension and it made him feel uneasy. In the marketplace, few ponies stood outside of their booths as they passed and many were closed or hurried to close before the three noticed them, though it was always very noticeable. Rosepetal didn't seem bothered by it, even managing to smile a bit.

Alaru now felt nervous despite his brave words. Things seemed different from the last time, and he found himself pressing against her flank. Darcian gave him a cross look and, feeling self-conscious, Alaru moved away from her once more as Rosepetal found the shop that she wanted.

It looked abandoned, with boards over the front, but that didn't seem to deter her. She knocked on the boards, and a small pony stirred and peeked through the cracks. The moment he saw that it was her he hastily came out to meet her. He was a light brown pony with a dark brown mane, but his colors looked more muted in the depressing light of Starstin's sun. He looked half-starved under the bandages that covered his frame, sides, and flank. His eyes only lacked a sense of dullness because they were filled with a sort of manic panic when talking to Rosepetal.

"Wh-What can I get you, ma'am? I have many different kinds of seeds," the scraggly pony squeaked.

"Do you have any marigold seeds, or maybe morning glories?" She spoke in a soft, comforting voice though he didn't seem to be soothed and if anything he seemed more agitated as he ducked back into his shop to search for what she asked for. "Any kind of flower will do if you can't find what I asked for," she assured him, though this only seemed to make him more frantic.

Darcian walked up close beside him and whispered, "You wanted to explore and get a chance to spread your wings, didn't you? You don't really think mom will let us today, do you? If she intended to give us time to fly we would have left earlier since she's not willing to stay out past moonrise. She's a coward who now relies on Starstin to take care of her. Do you think that's fair to us?"

Alaru found himself starting to shake his head but instead found himself getting mad at his brother. "She's not a coward," he growled back in a harsh whisper. "There's probably a reason why we're not allowed to stay out past sunset."

"Are you sure that it's not just superstitious nonsense our father made up to keep the villagers in line?" Darcian pressed. "I promise its fine. Father gave me these so we could slip away and practice our flying." He pressed a small black pellet into Alaru's hoof.

"What is it?" Alaru asked, glancing at their mother who was still waiting patiently for the seller to find something she could use.

"I was told that if we eat it then it will make clones that will last for twelve hours. If we just leave she'll become worried and come find us, but with the clones she'll never know better, and we'll be able to spend as much time out as we want. Won't that be great?" Darcian whispered to him.

Alaru thought about it for a moment before popping the seed-like object in his mouth, and his brother did the same. A shadowy mist rose from the two ponies, matching their pelts; Alaru's was a dark grey and Darcian's was white. Alaru wanted to stay long enough to see the clones, but Darcian hissed in his ear, "We have to get going now. If she catches us here with our clones she'll know that they're not really us."

The younger colt nodded, following his brother quickly, careful not to fly above the walls of the buildings so he wouldn't be spotted.

Rosepetal turned around, feeling as if something was wrong, but all she saw were her two sons. Darcian still looked irritated, but Alaru gave her a smile. "You're such a good boy," she murmured, some regret echoing in her voice. She hardly noticed the flickering tail of the real Alaru disappearing around the nearby corner. The seed seller returned with a small bag of seeds the moment she looked back.

He gave her the bag, and she gave him a gold coin in return. He looked at it and then back at her in confusion, starting to tremble. "Th-This is far too much," he whimpered.

"I know," she replied kindly, "You can keep it."

The sellspony looked horrified and was shaking as he ducked back into his shop, and slammed the door behind him. She forced a laugh before leaving with the clones of her children in tow. She hated pretending that she was okay with the way things were but she couldn't let on to how much she disliked it when it was far too late for her. She hoped that her sons didn't see through her. Maybe Darcian but he didn't seem to be paying attention. That was strange for him. She tried not to let it bother her though something told her something was wrong. She decided that it was nothing as they passed through the gate and back into the castle.

"Where are we going?" Alaru asked Darcian.

"Nowhere in particular," Darcian answered. "You wanted to prove to me that you're a fast flier, didn't you? Why don't you prove it to me? I'm going to fly as fast as I can, and if you can get ahead of me, I'll admit that you're faster. Does that sound fair?"

Alaru considered it for a moment before replying excitedly, "yeah! That sounds perfect!"

"Good," Darcian sneered, "Because you're not going to beat me!" Darcian sprang into the air and quickly took off. Alaru fidgeted, flapping his wings a bit in surprise. He didn't expect his brother to take off so suddenly. He then shook off his confusion and was racing to catch up with him. He was surprised at the ease in which he was able to find Darcian but as soon as he drew closer, nearly able to fly alongside him, Darcian picked up speed, almost as if he was allowing him to catch up.

Alaru tried to fly faster, but he was quickly tiring. He realized, a bit mortified, that he wasn't as strong at flying as he thought he'd be. Still, Alaru couldn't just let his brother win when he was supposed to have had just as much flying experience when neither of them were allowed to fly in the castle. He felt a new kind of energy pulse under his skin as soon as he started to wish for more speed. An image of the Crow flashed beneath his vision, and he started to catch up with Darcian.

Darcian cursed softly and began to fly a bit faster but, to Alaru's delight, his speed didn't seem to increase as much as before, and he seemed to be struggling. Darcian gritted his teeth as he glanced back and began to dive sharply, skimming the ground as he darted between buildings. Alaru was quick to follow, not wanting to lose sight of him. They darted through groups of ponies, mostly earth ponies though there was a unicorn and a few pegasi. His brother then turned a sharp corner and Alaru followed, but the moment he did he realized that he couldn't see where he had gone. A sort of fear went through him as he landed.

He began to wonder if he would be able to find his way home on his own. He could barely think straight so it didn't occur to him that he might be able to see his brother or the castle if he flew high enough. Instead, another idea came to him, and he knew it wasn't his own. He blinked a few times, finding the idea strange, but he continued until his vision suddenly changed. The shadows seemed to leave everything he was looking at, and a glowing white path seemed to appear to him. He knew this was his brother and he would be able to find him if he followed it.

Alaru started to flap his wings, eager to get back to his brother, but at that moment he was slammed to the ground. He tried to twist about to see his attacker, but the moment he did a hoof came down and struck his side, and then his flank, making him cry out in pain. He trembled as more and more ponies streamed into the alley, and he recognized some of them as the shopkeepers that hid from them. The one that had stomped upon him was a creamy yellow, and he was the only one that didn't have his markings hidden, though many of them were merely disguised by dust. He had a steel grey mane and a poorly shaven beard that stuck out in tufts. His eyes were a reddish-brown and narrowed cruelly. The only thing hidden, if the young pegasus had thought to look, was the pony's cutie mark which was covered in dirty bandages.

"What do you want from me?" Alaru cried and gasped in pain as the yellow earth pony stomped on him once more.

They could hear the ponies around them whispering nervously, and the yellow earth pony turned and snapped, his voice grinding, "Don't doubt what we're doing here! We have to destroy these monsters before we all starve to death and our children learn to bow their heads to them. He may be merely a foal now, but he's going to grow up to be a destroyer just like his father."

"I'm not going to be anything like my father," Alaru whimpered, stifling his cries of pain as the angry stallion brought his hoof down on him again, and then again.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Tie him so he can't use his blasphemous wings to fly away. Don't look at me like that! It is blasphemy for these monsters to have such gifts when they deny us the use of our own!" The scarred yellow pony hissed at the murmuring crowd.

A couple of unicorns, maybe the only two there, came forward, but it took both of them to gather enough magic to move the rope, and then it seemed to take forever to actually tie his wings down. He was in too much pain to fight back against them. The yellow earth pony forced him to his hooves with a deft tug and hissed in his ear, "Have you any last wishes."

"I don't want to die!" He shrieked at them, backing up until he was against the wall. Terror seized him as he saw them glowering at him, silhouetted in the light of the insidious setting sun. "I'm not what you think I am! I'm not a monster! I'm not like my father!"

"My son starved to death because of your family and you want me to believe that you don't deserve the same fate as him?" A female voice rose up from the back.

"That's not my fault!" Alaru cried out, tears glistening in his eyes. "It's not—"

A rock hit him in the head, and he cried out as pain shot through his temple, making his ears ring. More stones struck him, and he could feel sharp edges cutting through his coat. It did not show well in his dark grey fur, but blood noticeably stained the ground beneath him. He pressed himself down, trying to make himself as small as possible. He pleaded for help, hoping the Crow would hear him, but no suggestion popped to mind like before when he lost his brother. Aren't I supposed to be a shadow walker? Is this all that awaits me then?

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to push away the pain but it was hard to ignore, and he felt like he would slip away at any moment. The attacks suddenly stopped all at once, and for a moment he feared that he was dead but he still dared to open his eyes. A pegasus colt now stood in front of him. He looked to be about the same age as Darcian and he had a rusty red coat and a steely blue mane.

His protector glanced back and flashed him a grin despite how blood dripped between his eyes where a rock had struck him. He then turned back once he seemed to be satisfied that Alaru was okay and growled, "You want to strike somepony down? Then strike me down! It would be no different to kill one of your own than to kill a foal that's half my age, if not a bit older than half my age. How is it any different for him to be born Starstin's son than it is for us to be born in this hell? Have you no pride at all?"

"There is a difference! It would do nothing but hurt us if we were to kill you. If we kill him there would be one less cruel stallion out to get us in a few years' time. We can't afford to not kill him now. When he grows up he'll come back for vengeance," someone called from the crowd. "Even if we never attacked him he would have come to punish us for just trying to live!"

"Then maybe you should show some mercy so he has a reason not to," the young rust-colored pegasus replied, stamping his hoof defiantly. "Do you think this cycle of hate is going to stop here? He's not even the eldest! His older brother will be the one to rule, and you all know it! If you would have helped him instead, he might have stood for you rather than against you when his brother rules."

Mutinous whispering rose in the crowd, but one or two walked away. The creamy yellow earth pony did not yield, however, and continued to glare. "If we have to kill you, then we will, but I refuse to let a single one of them live."

"This was going on before you were born," the young pegasus answered hotly. "You told me yourself. Do you think that anything will change by killing two colts instead of just one? If you kill me then it will prove my point; that it will get you nothing."

The cream-colored pony seethed with anger, but his retort was cut off by a blood-curdling howl. Alaru was shocked to see the bloodthirsty crowd parting and scattering just like that. The pony that stood in front of him gave a nervous glance and firmly told him, "You need to get out of here. Get back to your castle where it's safe and don't think about coming back out until morning if you come back out at all."

He didn't wait for so much as a nod before darting away, taking off with strong, steady flaps. Alaru was somewhat surprised since the rest of them could barely tie a knot, let alone lift from the ground. He heard another howl and panic began to seize him as he remembered the story his mom told him about the ponywolf.

His blood turned to ice as he heard yet another howl, this time nearer, and he tried to fly away, but his wings were still firmly tied to his side. He bit at the ropes and wiggled vigorously, but they were sturdier than he could have imagined. He pulled as hard as he could with his teeth, but he found himself stumbling into the wall.


	3. Wolf

He shook himself off and started to run desperately, but froze as he caught sight of a pair of yellow eyes that peered from the direction he was running in. Nothing was more terrifying to him, but he managed not to make a sound. The creature crept closer slowly, and he realized that the only reason why he had seen it at all had been his shadow walker's gift. The beast had lupine features though he didn't want to call it a wolf. It didn't quite look like the pictures he had seen in his books. It had spindly arms covered in clumped, matted grey fur that covered the rest of its body. It also looked uncomfortable for it to be walking on all four limbs rather than otherwise.

Only his eyes moved as he looked around for an escape, not daring to turn his head. The only way out he could see plainly was the way in which he had arrived, but there was also the glowing trail as well. This time it was the dark, rusty color of the pegasus that had helped him and he was confident that if he followed it, he would find a safe place where the ponywolf couldn't get him. He prayed that the path didn't lead to a dead end as he backed away slowly. In that same moment, the ponywolf surged forward, and he was barely able to jump out of the way. Even so, he saw that a few strands of the rope were cut, showing just how close the creature had come to striking him.

He dodged past the beast and ran down the way in which it had arrived from, hoping that it was less likely to get him cornered than following the path of a pegasus. He prayed that the Crow was indeed on his side and was indeed actively helping him.

 _I'm supposed to be able to enter shadows and travel through them, right? Why don't you show me how to do that now?_ Alaru silently pleaded but a mocking reply answered, _are you sure he won't follow you?_

Alaru began to fill with choking hysteria. He could feel the beast gaining on him, his harsh breath roaring loudly in Alaru's ears as it came closer and closer. Pain seared his side as rending claws sent him smashing into a wall. He was afraid to move and not just because of how much it hurt. He was scared that if he stood he would find his innards on the ground or his skin falling away.

 _You're better put together than you think but don't press your luck_ , the Crow's voice hissed in his mind, _another pony wouldn't have been so lucky, but you're still young_. _However, you don't have enough control to waste how many times you get hit!_

"Okay," he found himself replying aloud as he struggled to his hooves despite how his entire body screamed. He then realized that the rope had been cut through, and he was grateful to see it fall away. The ponywolf was nearly upon him, and Alaru struggled to focus as the beast's claws came to tear him apart. Still, he held himself steady so that when the strike was nearly upon him, he was able to spring back, off the wall and into the air past those terrible claws, propelling himself into the air.

Alaru immediately started to feel exhaustion dragging at him, but he knew that he didn't have time to rest unless he wanted that to be the last thing he did. He tried to look out for Darcian in case his older brother was now looking for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Alaru noticed the ponywolf out of the corner of his eye, watching him fly, its eyes swirling with liquid moonlight.

Alaru knew his wings wouldn't hold him up forever, he was sure they wouldn't, and the creature made him nervous as it watched him like it knew that he would fall from the sky at any moment. The foreign intelligence in its eyes scared Alaru worse than anything else. He started to fly swiftly, or as quickly as he could manage, back to the castle, but the ponywolf started following behind him, further unnerving him.

It ran across roofs that were close enough together that it only rarely had to break stride to jump to the next, but even then it was so smooth in its lope that the transition was hardly a hindrance. At first, Alaru thought it was just following him, but then he began to notice how it drew ahead of him. He realized, as he found himself glancing down more and more often, that it was also heading for the castle. The beast was planning on heading him off there, it seemed, and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't muster the strength to fly ahead of it.

Before long, he found himself too exhausted to continue paying attention to what the ponywolf was doing and just forced himself to keep flying. Relief filled him as he approached the large arch in the gate that was heavily enchanted to keep ponies and other creatures that weren't allowed within the gate out, even if they were able to jump over it. It was decorated with spikes, black metal worked into the shape of twisting ivy, and metallic black spiders with wicked pincers. He prepared to fly through it and to safety, but his heart nearly stopped as he noticed the ponywolf waiting for him right in front of the arch. Static tingled in the gate as a bit of the ponywolf's fur fell through the barrier, but Alaru knew it wouldn't hurt him. What he really was afraid of was that the ponywolf would be able to jump up and knock him out of the air before he made it through. The arch was vast and tall, but it was just low enough for that to be a possibility.

He gave it a few tests dives before he actually dove forward, trying to make it through the gate, knowing that if he hesitated much longer the dots just beyond his sight would swallow him into darkness. As soon as he was low enough to get through, as he had predicted, the creature reached up and grabbed his hoof. He kicked and squirmed desperately at the beast started to drag him closer, but he managed to twist free, his hoof being pulled just enough through the gate to burn that wicked hand. His wings fumbled, and he tumbled to the ground beyond the arch, skidding in the dirt.

The beast snarled, low and irritated, and reached its hand toward him once more, as if this time it might be different, and Alaru scooted away in horror. The barrier lit with static the moment its claw touched it, much like a bug zapper, and it growled in frustration. The beast glared at Alaru, and though he wanted to believe he was safe, he didn't feel it as the creature gnashed its teeth at him.

"Don't think this is over. We will meet again. I promise you that," it growled in a grating voice though there was something about its diction that made Alaru think of a prince in a strange way.

"You can speak," Alaru replied stupidly, and the beast gave a tremulous laugh.

"Of course I can," it replied and added, "don't forget. I'm not a monster against my wishes, though the consequences of being a monster is dire indeed. Still, I was a sinner by choice, and I destroyed those I loved as if they were mere inconveniences."

"Did you come after me because I'm Starstin's son like the others?" Alaru asked, wincing as he stood up and felt red hot pain flare through his back leg.

"Of course not," the beast replied. "I'm far beyond being choosy on who I attack. You were the only fool that dared to be out when the moon rose. Even that villain's fake sun burns my fur, and I can only stand the less judgmental, though ever watchful, light of the moon. I find your naivety endearing, however. Heed my words. This is not the fate of a true king, colt. Love will get you farther than hate. Do not mistake me for one of the true wolves of nature, for this is the consequence of grasping for a gift that I did not have the heart to hold."

"So what does that mean? Are we friends now?" Alaru dared to ask.

"Don't ever make that mistake on this side of the gate," the ponywolf replied, bristling. "I'm a monster to the core, and I won't hesitate to rip you apart if we cross paths again on this side. That should be a lesson as well; don't trust someone that has proven to be untrustworthy, even if you allow them forgiveness. They are just as likely to betray you again. Evil loves evil alone."

"That can't always be true," Alaru began. "Isn't there a chance for redemption, and what defines someone as evil?"

The ponywolf bristling only worsened, angered at being questioned like this by a colt, but before he could reply a thick shadow began to grow around him and seemed to grow more and more solid. The ponywolf howled in pain and darted away, disappearing from sight as the darkness became a sheet, blocking the beast from Alaru's sight. Fear began to drown Alaru's senses as the strange shadows seemed to creep closer now and cross the gate's boundaries. They then seemed to dissipate just as quickly as they came, and a shiver went up his spine as he turned to see his father standing there.

Starstin glared down at him and ordered him icily, "Go to bed. You shouldn't be out at this time of night." Alaru forced himself to give a small nod before darting past, going inside, through those stone coordors, and back to his bed. He was just relieved to be able to return to his bed at all.

The next morning Starstin saw to his leg. It was swollen and infected and Alaru could barely move from his bed when he woke. He was glad that was the only place that seemed particularly effected, silently thanking the Crow, knowing he would have died that night if it weren't for the fact that he was a shadow walker.

Pins and needles went through his leg as his father used his magic to heal it and Alaru whimpered, "Why can't Sterling do this?" He recalled how gentle Sterling was the last time he was injured, and he remembered how he used to talk to him about theories in magic and such. He was always patient with him, and he wondered why he hadn't seen him around lately.

"Do you really think he has time for a brat like you?" Starstin snorted stiffly, and Alaru yelped as he felt a particular twinge of pain go through his leg. "He is busy keeping the barrier strong so threats like the one that you brought to our gate can't break through. A wound like this would hurt no matter who healed it."

"I'm sorry," Alaru grimaced before another sharp pain, sharper than the others, went through him and he lost consciousness.

In the next few weeks, he rarely saw Starstin or even Darcian and when their paths did cross the most his brother would reply was a grunt. _Is he mad at me? It wasn't my fault we got in trouble. I didn't want to go in the first place and when I did Darcian left me behind. He was also the one who had told me that the ponywolf wasn't real and now I have scars from it._

He knew he shouldn't let it bother him, but it was eating at him. Each time he went down to the garden to talk to his mother about it she avoided his questions and made up excuses. She seemed colder towards him as well, and he imagined it was because of the way they had tricked her that day.

"Please forgive me," he finally pleaded with her, this being a hair too much for him to handle. "I didn't intend to trick you, but I needed to prove that I was better. I wanted some recognition, and I wanted the truth. It was a bad idea. It was Darcian who tricked me!" He struggled to think up more reasons and began to shake as he realized that there was nothing more to it.

"I'm not mad at you. I understand perfectly," she replied warmly, but there was something hollow about it that made him feel cold to his core. She started to go back to her gardening, and his eyes welled up with tears in his frustration before finally running away. He trembled as he realized just how artificial her garden really was. It was far too bright and a far cry from the desolation that had awaited him outside of their gates. It wasn't fair that they should have their barricades and good health while those that lived in their shadow should suffer.

 _Life's not fair_ , the Crow hissed and cackled, _get used to it!_

"I don't want to," he answered miserably as he finally found a corner to hide in.

"It's not as bad as you think," Darcian said, and Alaru looked back at him, somewhat startled, not expecting his brother to find him like this, let alone to speak to him. "Starstin won't last forever, no matter what he says. He probably doesn't know half as much about alicorns as he says as well. We'll take over one day, and we'll be the ones who decide how this nation is ran. You and I will change things for the better."

"You mean…you would rule alongside me? I thought you were mad at me and that's why we weren't talking," Alaru sniffled.

"Of course I'd rule with you. Just you and me. We can take turns traveling the world since there's two of us. I suppose you wouldn't care for the name Starstin Brothers, would you?" It was the closest Alaru had heard his brother come to joking.

"So you're not mad?"

"Of course not," he replied with a slight smile, "I've just been very busy the last few days after what we did. I guess that wasn't the intended use for those pellets. I made sure to take all the blame since I was the one who convinced you to use them. To think you almost died because of me!"

"I was really strong and brave though," Alaru said, starting to grin. "I faced off against a ponywolf, and I won! Well sort of. It really is real. Why don't we call ourselves Shirokuro? I read it in a book once. The first part means white and the second part means black. It would represent what we'd be together."

"But you're really not black. You're a dark grey," Darcian replied teasingly.

"And you're a light grey, but together we're black and white," Alaru said with a grin.

"I suppose we are," Darcian replied warmly. "Want to play a game?"  
Alaru nodded, finding this a nice change from his usual demeanor, and so they did.  
~~

A bit more than a year had passed since then, and Alaru awoke in the middle of the night trying to stifle a scream. The last few nights, along with instances scattered throughout the previous year, he had been learning things from the Crow about being a shadow walker while he slept, but not that night. For that reason, it had been a surprise when the Crow suddenly appeared before him in his dreamless sleep and screeched. He tried to keep his breathing slow despite his fright, especially when he noticed a figure in his doorway. He realized, with some apprehension, that his night vision was sharper tonight. He set that feeling aside when he realized that the figure was his brother. Alaru could see him clearly, from his white fur to his bright red mane.

Alaru kept silent despite how he yearned to ask what he was doing there, and he kept his eyes narrow so there wasn't a chance that his eyes would give him away. After a moment, Darcian started to walk into the room. Alaru could tell that he was trying to tread softly so his steps wouldn't echo against the stone floor. Alaru was nearly holding his breath as his brother drew closer and closer. There was something wrong. Why would the Crow wake him up like that when it was just his brother? He was starting to doubt that his brother was just checking on him the longer he waited.

As he was trying to figure it out, Darcian was only drawing closer until he was over him. He had paused for a moment and was whispering something, and Alaru strained to hear him before realizing that he was mouthing a prayer. The two colts hardly knew anything about religion, but Alaru was familiar with the practice, or at least the reason for it and it had become a habit between the two brothers that their father didn't seem to oppose.

 _MOVE!_

The voice, sharp and commanding, and it frightened Alaru into motion. He rolled onto the floor a moment before Darcian's hooves came down where his head would have been. Without a second thought, he surged up, slamming into his brother and forcing him to stumble against the far wall. He then jumped up, rushing at him as his anger bubbled up, realizing that he had intended to kill him.

"How did you know?" Darcian gasped. "I was going to kill you in your sleep, and you wouldn't have felt a thing. It was supposed to be painless."

"I thought we were going to rule together. I thought things were different," Alaru cried and jostled his brother again, "and it wouldn't have been painless the way you did it!"

Darcian flared out his wings, trying to scare Alaru off him so he could fight back. The movement disturbed the spear that hung above the two brothers, and as Alaru stumbled back it fell from the wall and its tip, sharper than it appeared, dug into Darcian's side with finality. Blood trickled from the wound and stained the grey-white of his coat, and Darcian looked at Alaru in grave horror, blood already beginning to spill from his lips.

"D-Darcian…why?" Alaru choked, backing against the far wall as he tried to get as far from him as possible. "B-Brother."

"I'm f-fine," Darcian replied through gritted teeth, and Alaru tried to stop comparing the color of his mane with his blood. "Everything is going to be okay, Alaru. You're finally going to get what you wanted."

"I didn't want this; I wanted us to rule together and for us to save the ponies in the village. I wanted you to be there with me and for us to travel together and—"

"It is better this way," Darcian coughed. "I just tried to kill you. I'm evil to the core, and I deserve to die this way. I don't want you ever to be black. I want you to always be aware of the grey."

"You're not evil. You're just acting crazy because you're scared," Alaru cried. "It's just like with the pellets. Starstin was the one to tell you to do this, right?"

Darcian's voice was growing thinner as he replied, "You wouldn't have done it if it were you. This might have been an accident, but I wouldn't have blamed you if you had killed me on purpose. Just…Just watch out for Starstin. Don't listen to him; don't ever believe him. He knows what you are now...a s-sh-shadow w-w-walker"

"It wasn't your fault," Alaru muttered, "it was just like in that one book—Darcian?" The grey pegasus' eyes were closed, and his breathing was no longer visible. "Darcian!"

He called his brother's name again and again. After a moment he started trying to shake him awake, but the moment he touched him he knew he was dead and he wailed in despair.

Starstin seemed to appear out of thin air beside the grieving colt. He growled lowly, "You killed your brother."

It sickened Alaru as he realized that he sounded pleased "I didn't kill him!" Alaru screamed at him, though it was hard to forget who he was talking to. "The spear fell and killed him!"

"It wouldn't have fallen if you didn't slam him against that wall," Starstin replied insidiously.

"You were watching all this time, and you did nothing to prevent this! I thought he was your favorite. He was your eldest son!"

"You're my favorite now, and incidentally you're also now my eldest. In any case, he was the one that was older and should have come out the better, but you proved that wrong. That in itself makes you better in my eyes," Starstin murmured.

"I hate you!" Alaru yelled at him. He couldn't think of anything else to say, and his trembling grew more and more violent the longer he glared at his father.

"Follow me," the stallion replied, only seeming to be amused by his son's display of anger, "and everything will be explained."


	4. My Father, My King

Alaru considered defying him, but after a moment he found himself following behind him through those dark corridors. They arrived in the throne room where the tapestries depicting ponies and other beings fighting against monsters, and he now realized that many of them showed the hero failing in his fight. In place of the false sun over the thrones was now the moon. He could now clearly make out the image of the Mare on the Moon.

As Alaru looked about the throne room, he didn't yet realize that Starstin was leading him to its center. It surprised him when something seemed to seize his hooves, and he looked down to see an elaborate transmutation circle. Dark magic swirled around him, and as much as he struggled to stand straight, it became harder and harder until he was dragged to the ground by the magic.

"What are you doing to me?" Alaru screeched at him as he strained against the magic in vain and his wings were spread out against the circle as he hit the floor.

"You can understand what I'm saying now, can't you?" Starstin growled.

"Of course I can!" The young pegasus replied hotly, "What kind of foal do you think I am?" He realized a moment too late that Starstin was hoping for an answer like that and that he was speaking in the language of the shadow walkers in order to test him.

"And you've killed your best friend, your brother," Starstin replied, ignoring his son's harsh tone. The air began to shimmer around Alaru and he screamed in pain as something started to grow from his head that gave him a splitting headache. He realized, with great apprehension, that it was a unicorn horn—no!—an alicorn horn.

"I don't want this," he howled as he continued to struggle and the pain intensified each second until the process drew to an end at last and he laid gasping and shaking.

Starstin drew closer and hissed, "It no longer matters what you want. You will do as I say or you will be destroyed. I _will_ live on, and there's nothing you can do about that."

The pressure of the spell subsided, and Alaru trembled as he tried to stand and Starstin began to chuckle even as Alaru looked up with glaring, swirling orange-yellow eyes. Rage swirled in his chest and energy built in his new horn. Everything seemed to slow to a stop leading up to the moment when a blast of molten fire burst from his horn's tip and seared through Starstin's chest. He staggered back, startled and surprised. He tried to say something, but all that came out was a sizzling hiss. Alaru hardly noticed as the spiders began to creep from cracks between the stones under their hooves, and from the walls in great numbers.

"You never cared about any of us. You didn't care about Darcian and me, and after my mom stopped being any use to you, if you ever cared for her to begin with, you discarded her. You don't even care about the country you rule, letting the ponies in the village starve," Alaru growled. "This is what I think about your power game!"

He placed his hoof firmly on the side of the horn and started to push against it, at the same time using magic from the very thing to expel it from his forehead. It fell free just like that, it seemed, and rolled across the floor to lie at Starstin's hooves. He took a few deep breaths, feeling light-headed and sick for a moment just as Starstin hit the ground.

He wasn't quite dead; Starstin was breathing heavily. It was apparent, however, that he couldn't catch his breath and it was inevitable that he would die and soon. Alaru was just now starting to notice the spiders as they streamed around his hooves like a rush of water around jutting rocks. He shivered and tried not to move though he was afraid that his father had summoned them.

They started to swarm over Starstin, and a sense of foreboding and apprehension filled Alaru but it was decidedly not for fear that they would help him. They began to bite and tear into his flesh and his face contoured into a silent scream, unable to make a sound. Alaru turned his head and squeezed his eyes shut, shivering though he was afraid to for fear that they would turn on him.

 _They're only here for him,_ the Crow whispered in his ear, _His Shadow Caller was a spider. Their kind is the most unkind and brutal and won't give an inch to weakness. You're lucky that yours is a crow. We at least wait until you're dead before we feast._

Alaru gulped as he got a sharp mental image of his body, dead on the ground, being feasted on by blackbirds. He finally just retreated from the room, spiders crunching under his hooves as they continued to stream from every orifice.

 _Spiders care only for their own strength. That's why they eat and kill each other. Do you remember the gate that you went through? It was decorated with spiders now that I think about it. That's a dead giveaway if I've ever seen one,_ the Crow cackled, and Alaru was tempted to tell him to shut up. He didn't want to hear any more.

He wanted to find his mother. To plead with her and tell her what happened, but he realized that he didn't know where she slept at night. He didn't believe he could even manage a word with how he was shaking. He retreated to a part of the castle that was both far from that cursed throne room, and far from his own bedroom where his brother laid dead. He collapsed to the floor, scrambling as close to the wall as possible for warmth, and tried to fall asleep. He felt so disturbed that he doubted he would ever sleep again, really, and so when he actually did fall asleep it was a relief.

The next morning he awoke to sheer darkness. Typically there was enough light to see by, but there was nothing but darkness. He realized that he never really thought about where the light came from before now, though he supposed Sterling kept the torches lit. He stumbled to his hooves and struggled in the dark, trying not to catch his hooves on any jutting stones. He forced himself to calm down, and soon he had a map forming in his mind, and his senses were sharpening. He slowly made his way to his mother's garden, hoping she hadn't decided to stay in her room.

A bit of hope began to surge in his chest as he started to see the light from Rosepetal's garden streaming into the hallway ahead. He galloped eagerly to reach that warm light but came to a dead stop when he arrived. The light hurt his eyes after coming from complete darkness, and he closed them tightly. His eyes were watering, but he could hear a soft coughing, and so he followed that sound. It seemed to be forever before he could open his eyes, but after a while he managed to open them by increments. Everything was blurred at first, and there were still many dots in his vision, but his eyes were open. Not only did the light bother his eyes but it also seemed to feel heavy on his shoulders, but at least he was able to see. His mother was the one coughing.

"Mom," he practically whispered, going to stand beside her. She had been laying on the ground, and her cheeks were redder than usual. She looked at him with fevered eyes, but she still managed to struggle to her hooves. Her smile only faltered when she saw the bloody scar on his forehead. He hadn't realized it, but removing his horn had left more of a mark than he thought it would.

"Your forehead," she whispered and then shook her head. "Did that happen when your father died?"

"Y-yes," Alaru replied, startled. "How did you know? Wasn't it only last night?"

"The lights are all out, and the sun hasn't risen," she nearly whispered.

"What do you mean? There's still light here in the garden so why not just have Sterling fix it? Why would they go out just because of my father's dead?" Alaru asked, shocked.

"Sterling has been dead for quite some time," Rosepetal replied gently. "Haven't you noticed that you haven't seen anyone but your brother, father and I? The last thing he did was make this spell for me; the day before he died. Where is your brother?"

"I was trying to…he tried to kill me…Darcian is dead," Alaru stuttered and began to shiver. He tried to look down, ashamed, but she nuzzled his shoulder lovingly before he could. He then realized that he was taller than her now, and he didn't know how to feel about it. He wasn't so much of a colt now.

"I know. I thought something like this would happen, but I didn't want to believe it could go so far. At least I still have you. You're taller though, just like Starstin when he became an alicorn. You also finally have your cutie mark. It looks like a brown hill with a spear through it. There's a red ribbon tied to the spear," she said in a calm, soothing voice even as he started to sob.

"My cutie mark? I read about them but you always had yours covered, and father's was too badly scarred, and Darcian never got his. I was too young to remember what Sterling's looked like. It's supposed to be a representation of what a pony's special talent is, right? Does that mean that I'm always going to be a killer?"

"That doesn't have to be what it means," She mused, shaking with a small cough, "It could mean that you'll always stand tall despite the horrible circumstances that are laid before you. You're kind and brave, and you're going to be very strong one day. I know you, my son, and I know you're not the type of pony to be corrupted by power. It could mean that rather than using your power for yourself it will be used to protect your stance and bring peace to those around you."

"What am I supposed to do?" He gasped, and he couldn't help but feel foolish for shaking like a colt now. "You're sick, and I don't know what to do. I can't even raise the sun because I don't have any magic."

"Everything is going to be okay," Rosepetal murmured, trying not to cough anymore. "It's only a passing cold. You and I will figure this all out, but I want you to know that no matter what happens everything will be okay in the end."

"You're not just trying to tell me that to make me feel better, are you?" He demanded, both upset and slightly angry now. "I'm tired of all the lies. I just want a straight answer!"

"I want you to understand that there isn't one and not even I know how things will end," Rosepetal finally replied after a long, heavy moment of silence. "I also want you to understand that no matter what has happened so far, I have strong faith in you and your ability to make it out of this."

"What if I want to save everyone?" he mumbled quietly as he laid his head on her shoulder.

"I want you to understand; I need you to understand," she whispered before saying aloud, "Sometimes there are things that you can't change. There are things that have become so deeply ingrained that you can't hope to change them, and that isn't always a bad thing."

He nodded miserably and muttered, "I think I understand. I'm going to see if I can find some blankets for you. Will you rest for me?"

She nodded, giving him a weak smile before laying her head down on her hooves. He gave a satisfied nod in return and went off back into the pitch black hallways. His senses sharpened almost immediately, and he distantly wondered if there would be a time when this power he had would become dangerous. He didn't want to think about it, but he wondered if there was a possibility that he would accidentally kill somepony like he had ended up killing Starstin. He knew and believed that Starstin deserved what happened to him, but he found himself shaking when he considered what might happen if somepony he cared about in the future approached him when he was angry, upset or fighting. He nearly found himself walking into his room, but he paused when he remembered that Darcian had died there.

He didn't want to see his corpse. He also had an irrational fear that his brother's body wouldn't be there at all; that the spiders had eaten him away as well. He continued walking rather than risk not finding his brother's body. The problem he immediately faced was that he had no idea where to find blankets other than his own. He wasn't even sure if there were blankets anywhere else in the castle and he certainly didn't want to use Darcian's when his death was still fresh in his mind. He started walking closer and closer to the wall until his flank brushed it. He stumbled away in fright when he felt cloth, thinking that it might be a spider web. He then realized that what he felt was a tapestry and felt immediate relief. He had forgotten about the tapestries scattered through the halls, and he tore one down to take back to his mother as a blanket.

He closed his eyes as he went, his senses sharp enough to keep him from stumbling, not to mention his night vision wasn't strong enough to make out each jutting crack under his hooves to begin with. He hoped that keeping them closed prematurely would make it easier for his eyes to adjust to the light. As he approached the room and started to see the light through his eyelids, he slowly began to open them and let light in little by little until he was able to enter the room without squinting, or at least not as badly as before.

"I'm back," he announced with a grin, and his mother just opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile before sinking back to sleep. He started to feel worried again but tried to push that down as he approached her and began wrapping the tapestry around her. His heart jumped as he saw what it depicted. The wolfpony.

The blood in his veins ran cold as he remembered the last time he had seen it, more than a year before, and even more so when he remembered what it had told him. The only reason why it didn't harass the villagers at night was because it didn't like the light from the sun, even the false sun. Nothing was stopping it from hunting in both the night and day now that there wasn't a sun to prevent it from hunting, its senses strong enough to allow it to navigate the dark. For a moment Alaru considered finding the horn and trying to reattach it in order to raise the sun to keep it at bay once more during the day.

"No!" He hissed, already trotting back out and into the hallway's eerie darkness, talking to himself to encourage himself to stick to his path. "I swore that I would never do things like my father and I have to keep it. I'm stronger than I was last year and even without the horn I have the strength of an alicorn running through me. I can't just let it run free. Even if I cared nothing for the village ponies, it'll realize that my father's magic no longer protects this place. It might find the garden."

Alaru let the thought trail away, no longer wanting to talk to himself, and not wanting to imagine what would happen if the beast found his mother's garden. That thought drove him forward, faster and faster, his hooves drumming on the stone floor as he raced to the entrance, sides and flank scraping corners on tight turns. However, when he was actually outside, he paused, feeling out of place for a moment.

It felt almost natural for the castle to be in complete darkness, but outside it felt oppressive, even as his eyes started forming outlines before him. His pulse began to race as he drew closer and closer to the arch in the gate. Even though he knew that it held no power anymore, it still felt like the only exit and entrance, the only thing between him and the outside world. With every fiber of his being, he forced himself through that arch despite every fiber of his being also screaming at him that it was too dangerous.

 _Is that me or the Crow?_ Alaru considered once he was far enough away to force himself to firmly believe that it was too late to turn back. _It doesn't matter. I'm here now, and I'm not turning around even if the Crow knows my limitations better than I do._

At first, he walked tensely, as if expecting the ponywolf to spring out at him at any moment, but the longer he walked, the longer he began to wonder if he would even encounter the beast. _Maybe he just doesn't come out unless the moon is out. Maybe he's afraid of the dark like Starstin._

He froze when he noticed a dark figure ahead of him on the road. He cast his night vision out, but he couldn't quite make head or tails of who it was. All he knew was that it was a pony.

"What are you doing out like this?" He finally asked when the pony didn't move. Alaru considered that maybe the stranger just hadn't seen him.

"I was about to ask you the same," the pony replied in a rich, deep tone as Alaru drew closer. "This isn't exactly the most hospitable place to live, and I would think it would be too dangerous for ponies to come out with total darkness such as this."

"Then why are you out here?" Alaru asked brazenly before giving a sigh and adding in an attempt to make it sound more polite "Out of curiosity, I mean."

"You could say that's the reason why I'm here actually," the stranger replied. "I was curious about this place when I was younger, and since then I've made a lot of decision, decisions that have kept me from going back home."

"Why not just go? I don't see how anything's stopping you from returning home," Alaru replied, tilting his head to the side.

The stranger shook his head and turned toward the distant horizon. "Do you see that over there? If you look closely enough you can see a line of light where the sun is shining; the real sun."

Alaru squinted and realized that the stranger was right and the longer he looked, the more it began to look like there was a curtain with a bit of light shining under it that separated his land from the rest of the world. "That's amazing," he whispered, "but you still haven't told—"

"Some ponies have secrets that they just can't share. You were born here so I wouldn't expect you to understand. This place is dark and desolate compared to the world beyond. There's plenty of better places than this, and I hope that you live long enough to see them someday. Better yet, I hope that this place becomes a place worth living in so it won't matter whether or not you were born here, let alone if you die here," the stranger said. "I was called Bellantone."

"My name is Alaru," he answered, scarcely looking at the stallion as he continued to watch the horizon. "It looks like it's starting to get darker over there."

"No," Bellantone replied, "it's getting brighter here. The moon is going to rise soon. If you haven't noticed, it's the late afternoon, but I guess it's harder to tell now."

"Have I really slept through the morning?" Alaru muttered before turning a startled look back to Bellantone. He took a shaky step back as the grey pony's hair began to lengthen and grow thicker by the light of the rising moon.

The ponies muzzle grew more streamline, and its teeth sharpened, though the illusion of size may have simply been the hair. The muscles undeniably were becoming more defined, however, and hooves split into five fingers, cartilage becoming sharp claws. Eyes changed from a dull brown into swirling pools of golden plasma.

 _It's not natural,_ Alaru thought with horror as sudden fear caught him and he realized that this was the same beast he had so confidently come out to fight. He thought about his mother, and how she would be alone and defenseless if he failed here. _Of course it's not natural. He told me that himself after he almost killed me the last time we met!_

He leaped back, the beast already upon him and trying to rend him apart with its claws despite the transformation not yet being complete. "Why are you here? I swear I warned you what would happen if we met again like this," The beast snarled.

"I have to kill you," the young pegasus replied, shivering as he took a few more leaps back to keep clear of Bellantone's sharp teeth and claws, propelling himself back further with his wings.

"Is that so?" The beast hissed. "How do you suppose you're going to do that? You can't even get close enough to touch me. Are you going to buffet me with those pitiful wings or maybe you're going to throw rocks at me from afar like a scared foal."

Alaru grimaced as he took to the air and replied, "I'll figure it out. Nothing for you to be concerned about."

"You're right," Bellantone replied, "I'm not concerned. Not at all."

The ponywolf launched itself at him in one mighty leap, its claws ripping through the air as it drew closer. Alaru had to readjust quickly, just barely getting out of the way before his claws left shallow cuts across his chest. The moment the beast landed it was already circling around, leaping to land on Alaru's back. Shadows flared around Alaru, and the ponywolf found itself leaping upon empty air. Bellantone growled angrily and looked up to see that Alaru was now flying far overhead.

"Are you just going to float up there until you can fly no more or else I can figure out how to get you down?" Bellantone grumbled, annoyed. "Though this is far more fun than I've had in a long time. It's been a while since the villagers have left their homes after moonrise. I'm practically starving for actual flesh."

Alaru was trembling. "What am I going to do? He almost got me. I could have died just then. He was right. I'm not ready to fight him but…what if he gets in the castle." He gave himself a shake before diving down. He wasn't sure what he was going to do or if it would work after he figured it out, but he hoped that something would come to him when he collided with Bellantone. He had learned that his powers as a Shadow Walker weren't so much in his control but would come to his aid when he needed them most. Still, uncertainty flared in him as his nosedive brought the ground up to meet him along with the ponywolf that leaped to intercept the falling pegasus.

Before he came too close, a spear sliced the air and came inches from hitting his right wing. As it passed, he noticed the gleam of silver and his breath caught in his throat. He had to change directions quickly, rising back up into the air again after a decisive, premature turn. Hot anger flared in him as he turned to find the source. Sure enough, he saw the cream-yellow pony from before that had rallied the rest to try and kill him more than a year prior. He wore a leather fedora, and his eyes were chips of hatred as he reloaded the ballista and once more took aim. It was clear that Alaru seemed to take priority over the ponywolf. He wondered how the old stallion could see so clearly, but he then remembered that there was light from the moon.

Seconds passed in slow motion as the ballista was fired at him and the light reflecting off the spear's gleaming tip seemed to reveal him. He knew that no matter how truly it flew, he would easily be able to dodge around it, but that was no longer his intention. Everything seemed to slow for him as he waited until the last moment, and then flipped backward, letting the spear fly above him, and then he kicked it up into the air with his back hoof.

In his state of slow motion, it felt like it hung there, suspended and waiting for him. With a quick flap of his wings that propelled him upward, he found himself parallel with the spear shaft. He kicked it around so that the spear was facing the other way, and then he sent it flying away speedily.

To those watching below this happened too quickly to comprehend. To the eyes of the yellow pony the spear was now heading his way, would strike him down, and his heart fell as he realized that he wasn't only going to fail, but he was going to die terribly for his failure. He closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to see his death come to fruition, but he was surprised to find that the shriek that followed wasn't his own, but that of the wolfpony.  
The creature, driven mad by a hunger for flesh, had racing toward the yellow pony the moment that it had caught sight of him, so that he was standing over the stallion, claws ready to tear him apart when the spear arrived to pierce through him. Alaru, from his heightened position, could see this clearly, but the pony below couldn't.

The beast continued to struggle, but to no avail, the spear clear through it and dragging into the dirt beneath. Blood dribbled from its mouth and around its fangs and pulsed from the piercing wound each time it struggled. It finally began to cough up blood, his eyes watering until finally it had no strength left and it had to change back to the form of a pony, though the moon still floated above, unopposed.

"Bellantone? You've been alive all this time like this? When we sought the power to take over the castle I had thought you had died. I never would have left you if I thought you were still alive," the yellow pony gasped, shocked to see that this creature was somepony he recognized at last.

"Demartis," Bellantone choked, his eyes glassier by the second, "Murder isn't any way to solve a problem." He wore a red fedora, previously unseen in the dark, Alaru's night vision relying on heat. The article disappeared when the pony was changed. It was visible now, though it fell from his head as he slumped in death. The yellow earth pony, Demartis, trembled and glared up at where Alaru had been a moment before he disappeared into the shadows. The other ponies, the villagers, cheered Demartis as a hero, giving him credit for slaying the beast that had tormented them for so long, but all he felt was a sense of anger, loss, and grief. He did well to hide it, however, as he passed them by.

"I want to be alone," he growled at the ponies that complimented him as he pushed by, and who studied Bellantone's body with great curiosity. He imagined that it must be strange to find that the being that had terrorized them for so long had been a pony like them. A bellringer, according to his cutie mark.

Alaru stumbled through the halls once he returned home, feeling confused and disoriented. "Is that what my cutie mark means? I can't believe I actually did that. I don't know how it even happened but…I would have killed him. If the ponywolf hadn't gotten in the way. Am I really a monster like my father?"

He was heading back to the garden, feeling tired enough to sleep for months on end, but he hastened the moment he heard his mother coughing, his concern for her making him feel much more lively now. He tried not to screech in annoyance the moment the light hit his eyes, and they began to smart, taking a moment to regain his vision, though by the time he could see again he wish he couldn't.

She was not dead, but it was apparent that she was dying. Blood dribbled down her mouth, and he could see blood smearing her hooves where she had worked hard to wipe it away before finally giving up. She was shaking heavily, and Alaru laid beside her, wanting to keep her warm or comfort her. Anything, really.

"Everything is going to be okay," he whimpered as he heard her murmur something that could have been his name. It was too soft for him to actually make out and it could have been anything, even Starstin.

"I love you," she said, a bit louder so he could hear her. He tried his hardest not to cry as he laid his head down to sleep.

"I love you too," he replied, trying to pretend that he was younger and she was putting him to bed, and everything was okay as he closed his eyes. Even then, he couldn't stop the tears and he hoped she was at least too sick to see him crying.

"I love you," she said again, "Alaru. Everything is going to be okay."

He fell asleep, wanting to believe that wholly and it really would be by the morning. Of course it wasn't, and of course she was gone by the time he awoke. There were no more tears left, and he just looked at what remained of her with empty eyes. He covered her with the tapestry and started to walk away, but paused. He wanted to know what her cutie mark was, and so he checked. He was greeted by the sight of a rose, but it was wilting and dying.

"Was this what you were always meant for? To die like this after years of pretending. Maybe you've been sick all this time, and maybe you lived this long because of Starstin. How ironic," he sighed as he covered her again and left. He didn't merely leave the room but the castle itself.

He didn't plan to return, thinking that now that the beast was dead he would be welcome in the village. The scratch marks across his chest were beginning to burn like fire, and he screamed angrily, knowing that there would be nopony to hear him. The pain was almost a relief as it distracted him from his feelings of loss. It was strange to think that everything he knew prior was destroyed in a span of a week.

 _I don't think you'll find things as you imagine,_ the Crow hissed, _Ponies can be cruel to those they don't trust._

Alaru snorted, but he felt the same. He didn't want to stay in the castle though. It was colder and darker than ever now that he was all alone and it frightened him each time he would stumble or bump into a wall and hear the sound echoing through the passages. Even the sound of his hooves as they walked across the stone floor echoed eerily no matter how softly he trod. It made him wonder if it was really just an echo. He also imagined that the village ponies needed somepony to help them as well in this strange time. He couldn't hope to recall if this had ever happened before.

He wandered down the path, the moon just starting to rise. He was sure that they knew the beast they hid from when the moon was up was dead, and so he found it strange that they should be hiding now that the moon, their only source of light, was up.

"I've come from my castle to help you," he called, trying to get at least one pony's attention that would rally the rest. "I know this is probably scary. I'm scared too but I think I can help. I've read a lot of books and—"

A rock hit his side, and he froze, blinking heavily in order to contain the rage and tears that were starting to well up. "Please!" He cried after a moment. "I just want to help. I don't care what you all think of me, but I wish you would understand that I'm not like my father. I actually want to help you now that he's dead."

He could hear ponies rustling in their homes, and a sense of hope began to replace the frustration as he wondered if that was all it took. A rock hit him again, this time from behind. He turned to see the yellow pony, Demartis.

"You're not going to trick these good ponies anymore. I tire of your conniving tongue. If you truly wish to help us then you can go far away from here so that we may inherit your hearth," he told Alaru.

"Why?" Alaru answered, now apprehensive. "So you can defile their graves? I don't care at all about my father, and I can't deny the behavior of my brother. Even so, my brother doesn't deserve that, and neither does my mother. As far as I could tell she never did anything wrong. She even tried to help the town ponies when she could."

Demartis hurled another rock at him, and it hit him squarely between the eyes. He stumbled but tried to humble himself, bowing his head. He began to shake with rage however as Demartis sneered and replied, "That's why you killed her. Are you really trying to sell the fact that you're the only one that survived as a coincidence?"

"I didn't kill her," he choked, trying hard to swallow his anger. "She was sick. What happened to my brother was an accident, and I killed my father for trying to turn me into the same monster that he was."

"It serves you right," Demartis muttered darkly as he started to pick up another stone and added clearly, "As for your mother. She was a filthy—"

Demartis found himself choking under Alaru's hoof as he slowly started to press him into the ground. He didn't even see Alaru move. Alaru leaned sharply, teeth bared as he hissed, "Don't you ever speak of my mom that way. It will be the last thing you do!"

Ponies slowly started to appear, surrounding them, watching from nooks and crannies and through cracked doorways. He could hear them whispering about him, and the phrase 'monster' and 'fiend' came up more than once. He cast his gaze around the crowd, and he screamed, "Stop looking at me! Leave me alone! He said…He said about my mother…"

"Please let him go," a young foal cried daring to wrap her hooves around his, trying to make him at least ease up. For the first time, he could hear how Demartis gasped for breaths that would not come, and Alaru tore himself away in horror, stumbling back with his wings flared in fright. He bumped into another pony, and she fled in fright and he backed away from her as well.

"Just leave me alone! Stop looking at me like that; I'm not a monster!" He pushed his way through the crowd, more than willing to part with him, afraid of what he would do next. He took flight and went to hide away in the castle once more.

The next morning, or technically night, he found his mind completely numb though the scratches still bothered him, making him ache with pain at every waking hour. He had not dreamed despite how he could now sense the Crow's mocking laughter beneath the surface just as consistently as the burning. He realized that he was starting to feel starved, but he dared not return to the garden despite how there was plenty of food there to sustain him. He didn't care to take food the ponies of the village likely didn't have, despite what had happened. What was worse was he was just as afraid that he would find his mother's body missing, just like he was afraid of his brother.

He walked from his tomb, feeling hollow-eyed and stiff. He wandered leisurely down to the village that night and didn't speak a word. He just returned to the scene of last night and waited. Sure enough, a rock came hurtling towards his head, but before it could strike him he knocked it aside with an outstretched wing. It cracked against the nearby wall loudly. The noise summoned the rest of the villagers, and as they crept from their homes their expressions were those of actual fear rather than cautious avoidance.

He ignored them and instead turned slowly. Sure enough, the pony that had thrown the stone was Demartis, but his face was now bruised and bloodied. It didn't even look like he bothered to wash any of it off. Alaru snorted and replied in a deeper, scratchier voice than that of the night before, "Oh look. I messed up your face." He did not try to hide his sarcasm though he sounded tired and worn.

"So you admit that you did this!" Demartis yelled at him, and Alaru felt irritated with how he was playing up the crowd.

"Yes, I admit you're an idiot and deserved it," Alaru replied derisively. "Alright. I tried to be nice, but that might as well have been a decade ago. We're done with that. We're going to do things my way or no way. You all want to be ruled by fear rather than reason, and so we're going to have it that way."

Demartis continued to yell at him but Alaru was tuning it out, and none of the others seemed eager to follow Demartis anymore. Alaru still felt a twinge of regret, but he tried not to let it bother him as he growled, "This is what we're going to do…!"

The next few months were spent learning how to grow things that didn't need sunlight, such as mushrooms and moon moss. He used his pseudo harshness and sarcasm to encourage ponies to become more in tune with their magic and special talents and soon life became more livable in the kingdom. With Starstin gone there was no longer the magic that prevented them from using most of the skills he had shut down to make them more complacent. Things did not go perfectly but after a while they became minor wrinkles rather than the mountains they were before.

The ponies of the kingdom started to love and respect Alaru though he made sure to act as if he didn't care and acted indifferent when they tried to offer him things. Even when he was offered a chance to stay with the villagers—even by the youngest—he refused and retired back to his castle when the moon set.

In his castle, he would sleep a dreamless sleep in the stony entry hall, and he rarely ate, often neglecting to eat even when he had food. Rather than growing big and healthy he became bonier and bonier though each night he managed to get up and walk back down to the village.

One night he felt so cold and pained that he couldn't take a step farther after crossing the castle gate. He stared at the kingdom with glassy, cold eyes. He barely noticed the stranger that approached him with a sword on her back. She was a grey unicorn with a dark blue mane and sharp green eyes. She walked like a noble and was tall and slender.

"Are you Alaru, the monster that has been rumored to have been a plague on this land for the last few months?" She said, her eyes gleaming with hatred.

He managed to focus on her by the sound of her voice. At first, he looked confused as if he didn't hear what she said and he could see her mane raising in response to his hollow, unsettling gaze. Finally, he replied with a ghost of a smile. "I am."

"Then know that I, Silve, have come to kill you in the name of Celestia," she replied formally though her voice wavered a bit at the strangeness.

"Go ahead. No need for formalities," he croaked.

"You're not going to fight back?" She hissed, taking a slight step back, and then wincing as she took in his dilapidated state.

"Do I look like I can fight you? I wouldn't even if I could if that answers your question. I have no family; no friends. I would just ask that you go and check on the villagers once the deed is done. They may hate me, but I would hate if they should fall into disorder," Alaru said with a hint of a sneer.

"Why would you care about them?" She asked, feeling a bit put off.

"They're my people. I've been working hard at making them self-sufficient ever since I killed my father and the sun ceased to rise. You said you were killing me in the name of Celestia, right? I hope that's not just a saying that your ponies use but if you know her can you speak to her for me. Implore her to raise the sun over this land once more so my little ponies won't have to continue in this wretched darkness once I'm gone. Starstin is dead after all," Alaru coughed.

Silve looked confused. This didn't make sense to her. "But why would you help them? I thought you were the monster that killed ponies!"

"If that were true the reason would be that if I let them die there would be nopony left to kill," Alaru replied sarcastically. "But I'm not a killer; at least not realistically. I'm sure I convinced my flock that I am. The last time I killed a pony was when I shot my father through the heart—the lung?—well it really doesn't matter. Now that I think about it if I really wanted to I could kill you."

Silve's frown deepened, and she took her sword from her back and positioned it to go through his heart. His swirling yellow-orange eyes gleamed with amusement as he grinned at her, the world around them growing darker and darker as the moon began to set. They were in complete darkness, and Silve knew that all she had to do was put enough pressure on the blade to pierce his chest and end him like she had come here to do. Everything suddenly seemed to be bathed in a grey light that slowly started to grow in color, and she wondered how she could see everything so clearly.

"I never thought the day would come. It still hurts my eyes, but it's beautiful nonetheless," Alaru sighed, "I'm glad I lived long enough." Silve then realized that she wasn't imagining it. The light was real, and as she turned her head she could see the sun rising before her.

"I didn't know it was so late in the night," Alaru said, appearing surprised and pained as he squinted at the light. "I wonder if they were worried for me…I didn't show up at all last night. I suppose that's how it goes."

Silve heard a thump and turned quickly to see that Alaru had collapsed. She cast about, looking for something that could help him. She didn't know when the situation changed from killing him to helping him, but she found herself desperately trying to wake him up.  
~~

Alaru woke up in a bed. He didn't understand. He fell asleep again.

Silve sat beside him, watching him as he slept. He didn't look much better than before, but she knew that he was getting better. "He must get better," she whispered. It all felt strange to her. She had never felt this kind of compassion for somepony before, and she couldn't imagine why she would feel this way about this dilapidated lump of black and red fur. His red mane covered his eyes. It was obvious that he hadn't cut it in quite some time, let alone groomed it. It flowed around his face and neck, and some of it tumbled over the small cot. What she noticed most was the little smile, the smirk, which played across his face even as he slept. She couldn't imagine loving a stallion that seemed to flow with such dark and despairing mirth and yet that's what she felt.

"It's illogical," she whispered and tried to hide her blush as he started to shift about in the cot.

"What's illogical," he asked, his voice dry and cracking. He struggled to sit up but with his face contorted in pain fell back down again.

"Nothing," she hissed. He had startled her. "Would you like a drink of water?" She pulled out a sponge and dipped it in a bowl of water she had waiting for him. He drank from it gratefully as she held it to his lips.

"Where are we?" He groaned as he cast his gaze around the room. "This isn't my castle. You didn't take me away, did you?" He noticed the filtered light streaming through a nearby window covered in dust. It didn't seem quite right. It was too bright and warm. He still wondered if seeing the sun rising was really a memory or just a cruel dream. _The mare is still here._

He didn't hear what she said in reply, slipping back into unconsciousness. "He's asleep again," Silve finally muttered after she realized that he hadn't heard any of what she had just said. She had told him that they were in the house of one of the local villagers and that they had helped move him here. She had also told him that they had come looking for him after he didn't show up that night.

"He'll be fine," the old pony that had offered up his home said. "He's a strong colt. He'll be fine."

"He told me when I found him that you all hated him. That couldn't be true though. You all came looking for him, and you even let him rest in your home," Silve said, not taking her eyes off of Alaru. "You've let him have your home for weeks even."

"I could see how he could say that. When his father ruled we were neglected and abused, and many ponies feared Alaru because of how much he looked like his father. We all believed that he would become the monster that his father, Starstin, was and that made us blind," the old stallion croaked. "Some still are afraid that he'll change and things will go back to how they were."

"I came here to kill him," Silve said quietly.

"Well don't," the old codger replied simply. "He's done more for us than anypony has for years. It would be a shame if the young king were killed after he helped us the way he did. He had every right to despise and torture us like his father for how we treated him."

Silve nodded, and the old pony walked away after a moment.

Alaru finally woke again a week later. The old pony that had offered up his home was staying with another, so he didn't mind that Alaru had been there for so long. Alaru was up and trying to march out the door this time around, and Silve had to practically stand in his way to stop him.

"What do you think you're doing, up and moving about like that?" Silve asked crossly.

"I have to check on everything since I was thinking of leaving soon. Where did you say you were from?" The dark pegasus asked, doing his best to move past her.

"I never said," Silve replied, "but I'm from Equestria. My parents and two sisters live on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest."

"Excuse me if I should lack the knowledge in which to appreciate where the Everfree Forest is," Alaru replied in order to hide his excitement.

"You were the one who asked," she shot back, following him out. He stumbled and after a moment let her support him as they walked side by side. "You really shouldn't be up so soon after just waking up. At least drink a bit of water first."

"The last time I did that it knocked me out," he joked, as he continued to walk. She could hear ponies talking amongst themselves, and they started to walk with him though none of them came closer than a yard. She felt slightly disturbed and nearly stumbled as he stopped suddenly.

He looked around at the gathered ponies, and a few of them cheered him. "He's back!" and "Where do you think he's been?" were echoed again and again in the chatter.

"Listen," he said, addressing the gathered ponies, "I'm going to make one last round, and then I'm going to leave. Where is Demartis. I want to talk with him also."

"You're retiring to your castle already?" Someone asked from the crowd. "The sun's out! Don't you want to enjoy it?"

"Demartis is gone," another pony added. "He's been gone for a long time now. Nopony has seen him for at least a month!"

"He's gone? That's a shame," he replied sarcastically, "It looks like you all will have to take care of yourselves from now on. I'm leaving and not just back to my castle. I'm leaving the country. I know you all are looking for a king out of me but I'm not your king, and I never will be," he thundered.

"What do you mean?" a few ponies answered and echoed. Another few cried, "Then how are we going to survive?"

"You can make your own decisions. You don't need me to tell you what to do when you already know what to do. Take care of each other. Vote on things that will affect all of you if you must. Just don't look for me to help you do it. You can even vote for a new leader, but I promise you that if you give one pony all the power there will be a strife when a new leader, less deserving, decides they can push you into the dirt like my father did. I'm not immortal, and you shouldn't expect the next generation to clean up the mess," he told them.

"Please don't go," another pony said, and another added, "You're not well enough to travel. At least wait before you abandon us! You might collapse on the road and then what?" Yet another pony called out, "if you wait you might realize that you don't want to leave after all!"

"I guess I'm going to have to live with that," Alaru sighed, "and if I wait you're probably right. I might decide not to leave. I don't want to build a nation full of foals reliant on me. I might come back one day to check on how things are going but don't expect me to stick around."

"Alaris," a stallion in the back called and the rest started to call it out as well.

"Alaris! Alaris! Alaris! Our nation, Alaris!" They all cheered.

"Call it what you want," Alaru replied lowly, pretending not to care as he turned about, "but I'm not staying." He turned around and began to trot away though Silve still had to help him.

As he promised he went through his regular routine, taking in how they were growing and seeing how things were being resolved. They had started planting new things as well now that they had the sun back.

"See!" One of the farmers said excitedly. "Won't it be great to see how they'll grow?"

"It would be. I'm glad you all will be able to see that," Alaru replied coldly, turning away. It was night by the time they were finished, and he could hear them cheering when they saw him heading back toward the castle, considering this a sign that things were returning to how they were before he slept. It wasn't to stay though. He wanted to pay homage to his mother one more time.

"Are you really sure you want to leave these ponies?" Silve finally asked though she had kept her silence through most of the day. "Don't you have a responsibility to them?"

"Absolutely," Alaru replied. "I couldn't live with myself if I should leave this place to somepony that won't cherish the work that I've worked so hard to make, especially if that somepony is my own foal."

"Somepony may very well take over if you're gone," Silve argued, "somepony like that."

"Perhaps," Alaru sighed. He was starting to feel better, or at least stronger, so he drew ahead of her. "But at least I won't be here to see it, and I'll be coming back one day. If I return home to a dictator, then I guess I'll have to clean things up again and start over, but I don't want that dictator to be my son or daughter that blindsided me long enough to destroy everything I worked for. I don't care if that sounds wrong when I don't even have a wife."

She looked away, not wanting him to know how much this news meant to her. He didn't miss it, murmuring with great mirth, "that may change one of these days, but that doesn't mean I'm going to keep this place. Besides, I don't have a home anymore. I don't have anywhere to live, and I don't have any intentions of living in the village. It's better if I go."

"What does that even mean? What about the castle? Are you going to try to burn it down?"

"It's easier to disown stone than to burn it," Alaru replied sarcastically as they approached the gate. It was a shame, he thought, that it didn't have a physical gate to close. He murmured something that sounded like a prayer though Silve couldn't imagine what diety Alaru had to pray to.

"Fine," she replied. "Then where are you going to go?"

He looked back and smirked. "I thought it would have been obvious. I'm going home with you, and there's nothing you can do about it. Well nothing except _kill me."_ She glared at him, and he just laughed.

"I wanted to know something," Silve said, being the direct unicorn that she was, "do you love me?"

"What kind of question is that? I barely know you. If I were to love you, I would be grateful that you nursed me back to health and helped me see my village one last time before we left together. That would be preposterous," Alaru laughed aloud, not looking at her.

"What does that even mean?" She replied sulkily.

"It means yes," he replied, "or at least I'm considering it. Not that I think you know anything about love yourself. I imagine it takes time, don't you think?" He couldn't help but wonder what his mother would have thought of him and all this. "I know you probably think this is all very strange but you'll have to deal with it." He told her when he noticed the look she was giving him. "Let's leave while the moon is still full. I also don't want the rest of them to catch up, or they might see me _crying._ "

Silve didn't know what to say. It felt strange for something like this to happen to her, for her to be joined by a pony like this that she barely knew, but already believed she respected.

"Okay," she replied quietly, not knowing what else to say as she followed behind him as he started to trot down the path. She didn't even bother to tell him how foolish it was for him to be leading when she was the one who knew where they were going. He paused, and she nearly ran into him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, and he shrugged strangely before turning about. Caught on the fence was something that looked like red and black cloth but the closer he drew, he realized that it was a fedora and he gingerly gripped it in his teeth. Before long he had it on his head.

"Now we can go," he told her when she gave him a strange look. "You should lead this time." She rolled her eyes at him and took the lead, and together they walked on their way out of the country.

 _The Crow bubbled with mirth._


End file.
